Rwanda deal could be done TODAY as pressure piles on Rishi Sunak to tackle migration

Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak's fresh deal with Rwanda could be signed as soon as today, as the Government sets in motion its plans to get the agreement over the line

PA
Millie Cooke

By Millie Cooke


Published: 04/12/2023

- 08:33

Updated: 04/12/2023

- 10:30

The Government is looking to sign an agreement which would ensure migrants are not deported from Rwanda after being sent there from the UK

Rishi Sunak's fresh deal with Rwanda could be signed as soon as today, as the Government sets in motion its plans to get the agreement over the line.

James Cleverly is said to be on standby to fly to Rwanda to sign off the deal, which could come as soon as today.


The Government is looking to put in place measures to ensure that asylum seekers are not sent back to their countries of origin if they could be in danger.

The agreement is seeking to include a legal guarantee that would prevent asylum seekers from being deported from Rwanda if they have been sent there as part of the scheme.

WATCH: Sunak says he will introduce emergency legislation to stop the boats

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that the plan to send migrants to Rwanda is unlawful.

All five justices unanimously agreed with the Court of Appeal’s conclusion that the Rwanda policy was unlawful.

Delivering his judgement, Lord Reed noted that "the court of appeal was right to overturn the high court's decision and to consider the evidence again for itself".

He cited concerns about "media and political freedom", the country's "poor human rights record" and a "misunderstanding of its obligations under the Refugee Convention".

Speaking after the ruling, the Prime Minister said the Government will "carefully review" the judgement and make plans for "next steps".

But Home Secretary James Cleverly has indicated reluctance after he urged people not to "fixate" on the plans.

One suggestion to get the deal over the line, would be to place UK lawyers in Rwandan courts, in order to address concerns from the Supreme Court over its implementation.

Sunak discussed the treaty with Rwandan President Paul Kagame over the weekend during his visit to the Cop28 UN climate change conference in Dubai.

Sunak is understood to be hoping to get flights off the ground by April, in an attempt to boost the party's position in the polls before an election.

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There have been calls from the Conservative backbenches, and from within Government, to backtrack on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to get the deal off the ground.

While Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick is publicly pushing for the ECHR to be disapplied from the treaty, Cleverly told Tory MPs last week that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would undermine attempts to stop the boats.

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